India beat Australia by 137 runs, take 2-1 lead

Thursday 03rd January 2019 01:48 EST
 
 

India beat Australia by 137 runs in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG on Sunday, even as inclement weather delayed India’s victory. But when play finally started, Indian bowlers needed less than five overs to wrap up the Australian innings. Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon managed to add just three runs to their overnight tally of 258 for 8 before Jasprit Bumrah induced a nick from the former that Cheteshwar Pujara held low down at first slip. Lyon then tried to pull a short ball from Ishant Sharma and got a top edge for Rishabh Pant to accept and bring the curtain down on a fascinating Test that India won by 137 runs.

Bumrah, who finished with career-best match figures of 9 for 86, was adjudged Man of the Match. The victory is significant for many reasons. First and foremost, it was India’s 150th in Test matches, and third at the MCG. It handed India a 2-1 lead going into the Sydney Test which they only need to draw in order to register their maiden series win in Australia. The result also ensured that India would keep the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, irrespective of what happens in the final Test at the SCG.

India skipper Virat Kohli, though, made it clear that his team will go all out for victory in Sydney where the pitch traditionally helps the spinners. India, who have thrice shared series honours in Australia - in 1980-81 (1-1), 1985-86 (0-0) and 2003-04 (1-1) - will be looking to press home the advantage they hold and make it a memorable new year in Sydney. “We always knew that we could do this. Although we are very happy, we are not shocked or surprised about what has happened.”

Asked whether he had been a bit nervous about the inclement weather, Kohli said: “Not really. Some people in the (team) management group were having a look at that (forecast). We knew we had enough time,” the Indian skipper said.

Virat gives bowlers special praise

Kohli hailed his team’s victory as a “collective effort” and applauded his bowling unit for delivering the goods, match after match. Kohli lauded his bowlers for taking total ownership of their skill and responsibility for the team and disclosed that he hardly speaks at the bowlers’ meeting. “I mostly listen to them as it’s important to understand what they are thinking. At the end of the day, they are the ones running in with the ball, so they need to be confident with their fields, pitching (areas), pace off the pitch, delivering dot balls and picking wickets. The results are there for everyone to see,” said Kohli, referring rich harvest reaped by Indian bowlers, especially the pacers this year.

In a first of sorts, Indian bowlers - led by the pace troika of Jasprit Bumrah (48 wickets), Mohammad Shami (47) and Ishant Sharma (41) - succeeded in bowling out rival teams twice in 12 of the 14 Tests they played in 2018. With Umesh Yadav (22), Hardik Pandya (13) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (10) also chipping in at crucial times, the Indian pacers aggregated 181 wickets - a huge effort that was acknowledged by the skipper.

Kohli revealed that the key to his bowlers’ success is working in tandem and not trying to outdo one another. “If Bumrah is taking wickets, others are containing runs, or if someone is picking wickets, Bumrah does the containing job. It’s same for Jadeja and Ashwin. When it comes together nicely, it gets you the desired results,” he added.

Bumrah best

Kohli hailed Jasprit Bumrah’s meteoric rise in international cricket since making his Test debut against South Africa in Cape Town in January this year. “He has only been playing for 12 months. He is obviously the best bowler in the world, in my opinion, and also a match-winner, without doubt,” Kohli said after the pacer was named Man of the Match for his overall figures of 9 for 86 in the Boxing Day Test. Bumrah has emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 20 scalps in three Tests. The right-arm pacer’s career tally stands at 48 in nine Tests.

Widely regarded as a limited-overs bowler, Bumrah raised his game several notches in the past year or so to become an automatic choice across all three formats. Asked about Bumrah’s transformation, Kohli said: “We were most impressed with his amazing levels of energy and fitness in whiteball cricket. He was training like he wanted to play Test cricket. He was almost obsessed about his fitness levels and work ethic. So we discussed before the South Africa tour that it might be a good idea to include him as a surprise package as he could be lethal if he gets his line and length right.”


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